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The monarch butterfly population in their winter home is down 75 percent.

Seventy. Five. Percent.

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Well, the first new pope of the twenty-first century is a former Hitler Youth. I guess I shouldn't hold that against him (his membership was compulsory), but I kind of wish the cardinals had. More importantly, his theology, like Wojtyla's, was forged in the context of totalitarianism--an intense awareness of one kind of evil that may have blinded him to others. Or so I gather. We'll see. Best wishes to my Roman Catholic friends and family.

Elsewhere:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday that despite serious setbacks to Russian democracy, there is no sign that the country is poised to return to its totalitarian past.

As evidence of democratic ferment, Rice said Russia's opposition is expected to contest the next presidential elections, and she also cited recent protests by pensioners angry over a reduction in benefits.

Yes, Bush-style democracy is alive and well in Russia: Stolen elections may be a foregone conclusion, but at least you're free to complain about them.

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Today at Borders I bought the latest issue of Bitch. Some of you know me well enough to be amused by the image of me walking up to the counter with that title in my hand. The sales clerk said, "... new bitch!" I nodded and smiled.

Motivated, in case you're wondering, by Amanda Marcotte's post about Juliana Tringali's article about "how rock music came to be dominated by men, and female musicians who subvert that". Looks good, haven't read it yet.